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| India-Pakistan |
| Army called in as Kashmir boils again |
| 2010-07-01 |
| The Indian-held Kashmir government sought the army's help on Tuesday and imposed a curfew in the region to control continuing unrest, when firing by security personnel on stone-pelting protesters left three more people dead. The army moved in Sopore and the adjoining Baramulla township, as violence spread to South Kashmir and more areas of North Kashmir. At least 13 people were injured in fresh clashes between protesters and security forces across the valley, police said. On Tuesday, deaths were reported from the southern Anantnag district where protesters had gathered on the streets. Police identified the killed protesters as Ishfaq Ahmed Khanday, Imtiyaz Ahmad Itoo and Shujatul Islam. The victims were part of a mob hurling stones at Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Anchidoora in Anantnag town, 55 kilometres of Srinagar, police said. Locals alleged that the CRPF personnel barged into houses and shops while chasing a violent mob protesting the rise in killings by security forces, and shot the victims in a house and a bakery. Death toll in the firings has reached to eight in a week. Two people had died in CRPF firing in Sopore and Baramulla on Monday. Reports of violence were also reported from across the valley in Kupwara, Bandipur, Budgam, Pulwama Kangan and Sumbal areas. In the northern town of Kupwara, at least five protestors and four policemen were injured when CRPF and police resorted to baton-charge and teargas shelling to disperse hundreds of people from Kupwara and adjoining areas who protested and tried to march towards Sopore. Massive protests were also held in nearby Handwara. Protestors from Rajwar, Handwara and Kulangam assembled at the Handwara Chowk to march towards Sopore. Services blocked: Under the current situation, mobile services in North Kashmir and SMS service in the entire valley were blocked on the instructions of the government. Separately, Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram pledged support to the IHK government to enforce curfew restrictions sternly and end rioting. In a statement after a high-level meeting of security chiefs to review the situation in IHK, the minister blamed anti-national elements for attempting to exploit the situation, and appealed to the people to help restore law and order. Anti-state elements: "There are reliable reports that anti-national elements are trying to exploit the situation. Some militants may also have sneaked into the valley to trigger violence. I appeal to all those who believe in peace and development to stand by the state government and help it restore law and order," he added. |
| Posted by:Fred |